Job scam quick guide: it's a scam if...

they want you to collect and forward money in any way (a "money mule" job). You'll wind up engaged in money laundering, personally defrauded via expertly forged cheques, money orders, etc, or defrauding someone else who pays for goods that never arrive.

they want you to receive packages and reship them somewhere else. The goods will have been obtained fraudulently, and they're just using you to make the shipping address appear local. You will be aiding fraud.

they want up-front payment (either to them or someone else) of any sort for anything before you can get the job. This is advance fee fraud: there is no job -- it's just a big con to extract money from you.

they want you to buy any kind of "membership" or "kit" in order to start. Forget it -- it's not a real job at all: they're trying to sell you something, and they're probably making a bunch of other false claims about it if they're pitching it as a "job".

it's a job offer, and it's spam. There are LOTS of these scams about, as you can see.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I'm posting this one only because it got past the Gmail spam filter. The sender used a WiMax Internet connection in Pakistan (if the WHOIS record for 110.37.31.115 is to be believed). The job description is really vague, but it's probably cheque fraud or a reshipper scam. It's definitely a scam, though: they're spamming it out and saying "I just found your email". No they didn't: they're looking for victims.

My name is Sam Arlandos and I am the HR manager for SW Europe Company. I have just found your e-email at one of the HR resource and I am sure that you would be interested in the new job vacancies at SW Europe Company:

Vacant position: Agent Sypply Department.

Requirements: - promoting quality achievement and performance improvement throughout the organization - working with purchasing staff to establish quality requirements from external suppliers - setting up and maintaining controls and documentation procedures - availability of spare time (3-4 hours per day) - advanced user ability to operate PC and to use Internet and e-mail.

Friday, August 06, 2010

A correspondent reports the unhappy news that he has lost money to these scammers. This fake job offer is actually an advance fee fraud scam: they express an interest in hiring you, but require that you pay airfares and other fees. There is no job: it's just a con. If someone wants to hire you for anything, require them to cover any and all associated costs, and assume it's a scam if they won't.

Scammers change the names associated with their scams quite regularly, so if you see something that looks similar to this, but with different names, the chances are that it's exactly the same scam.

From: Martin Chen [mailto:martins.chen@btinternet.com]

Subject: Experienced Coaches/Players Needed

Attn: Chongqing hockey Academy is a newly opened hockey club/academy located in Liaocheng, Shandong Province in China. This hockey academy is sponsored by the Chinese Sport Council (CSC), Chinese hockey Federation (CHA) and other reputable companies. The Academy looking at building on this and make it a profitable academy at beginner and intermediate level for the Chinese Sport Council CSC in the nearest future. You may need to expand to all levels from mini tots to advanced tour players to old social players Just to make it more profitable at present we have 6 hockey Courts including Clay with Modernized indoor and outdoor facilities. The players are from 38-42 in number all are beginners. The players can communicate in English. The job description includes, training, instructs hockey players by analyzing their Performances and developing their abilities. You閳ユ獧e Responsibilities: Carry out all aspects of the hockey program necessary to accomplish objectives of the sport within the guidelines of the Chinese Sport Council (CSC), Chinese hockey Federation (CHF) and Academy rules rules. Responsible for managing the hockey Academy, which includes memberships, court scheduling, recruiting of members, financial accounting and hours of operation as set by the (CHA). * Select, supervise and evaluate assistant coaches. *Manage the academy budget. *Market and promote hockey Academy program. *Ability to effectively analyze and teach the fundamental hockey skills and strategies of the sport *Plans Game-Day Tactics and Skill Instruction Each coach is entitled to a self contained house with all equipped housing facilities.Luxury Apartments. Air-conditioned. 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with fully fitted kitchen, laundry room, lounge/dining room and balconies. Suitable for families or small groups (up to 8 people).Two swimming pools and private communal garden. 1 kilometer From the hockey Academy. Our living apartments are Private. Salary and Benefits: $18,300 monthly can be transferred to any Bank or Country of your Choice and all transfers must be made in conformity with the existing tax situation in China. Furnished House, Air Way Ticket, Health Insurance, language tutor.Contract Duration: 24 months (Liable for upward review depending on your commitment and expertise) We hereby inform that if this Offer is acceptable to you, you are requested to send us an Acceptance letter with your passport photograph via email to :(chonqgingacademy@chinamail.com) and your C.V/RESUME to enable us proceed with relevant Processing. Regards, Mr.Martin Chen Lee 0086-1361708504,86-13774491242 Chonqging hockey Academy No.52 international Park Xiang Gang Zhong,Liaocheng, Shandong Province CHINA 252000

About This Blog

This blog is an offshoot of iDeceive, which documents deceptive Internet activity. For more general information, please go to that blog. All entries posted here are employment scams. If you've received an email that resembles anything posted here, you'd be well advised to assume that the sender wants to exploit you, not employ you.
Scammers often impersonate real companies. Where real company names are mentioned here, you should assume that a scammer is using that identity fraudulently unless you have strong evidence to the contrary.

Need advice?

If you need advice about a possible scam, and you don't want to post a comment on the blog, contact Deception Spotter via email at ideceive@gmail.com.Please include the word "Spotter" in the subject: the message will then be flagged for my attention, and won't be classified as spam. Most relevant correspondence is answered within 24 hours, but no guarantee is offered as this is an unpaid, voluntary public service.

What is a money mule?

The vast majority of job scams seek to recruit money mules, usually under titles like "financial manager", "payment processor", "transaction specialist", or just plain "representative" or even "partner". The job of a money mule is to be a financial middle-man, accepting payment in one form, and forwarding it (minus a fee) to another party, usually via Western Union. Scammers employ money mules to launder money on their behalf: the mule is responsible for converting a fraudulent transaction of some kind into quick, anonymous cash, usually transferred via Western Union or some similar scheme. Scammers send out a lot of job ads for money mule positions and never refuse an applicant because they are disposable: money mules either get ripped off directly (as when they are persuaded to bank a forged cheque or money order which is later dishonoured by the bank), or take the blame for defrauding someone else (as with most payments involving direct bank transfer, PayPal, or similar). Don't make an ass of yourself: don't be a money mule.